Portfolio



l Dec. 4, 1934.

A. KAUFMANN PORTFOLIO Filed June l5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 |||I||||| i... m

INVENTOR zyjymawb, @JM

ATTOR Dec. 4, 1934.

A. KAUFMANN PORTFOLIO Filed June 13, 1954 2 vsheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR zy Ja'oyjfwaJz/n d? BY M 'M a Y ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1934 PATENT OFFICE PORTFOLIO Kaufmanm South Orange, N. J., assignor to f K. Kaufmann & Co.,"lnc., a corporation of'New Jersey Application June 13,1934, Serial No. 730,442

` `9 claims. (ci. 15o-1.6)`

` This invention relates to improvements in portfolios, brief-cases and similar carrying cases or envelopes; and the invention has reference, more x particularly, to portfolios of the type comprising "i side members adapted to fold together, said side members havingcooperating slide or other fastener means attheir free margins to join the same "in closed together relation. This -inventionhas for its principal object to provide a portfolio of thekind described which is provided with a Acentral pocket or compartment member, the same being adapted to automatically assume an upright or uio-standing position when the sidemembers are released from fastened tol5 gether relation anddown-folded to open `flat lying positions.

` The invention has for a furtherand more specific object to provide a novel construction of central compartment, adapted for upstanding dis-` position when the portfolio `is open, which is lso arranged as to expand` laterally when the portfolio is opened `and to contract laterallywhen the portfolio isA closed; said compartment being ca-y pable alsoof subdivision so thateither a single or a plurality of pockets may be provided thereby. Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same. o

Illustrative' embodiments of this invention are shown theaccompanying drawings, in which;

` Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the novel porte folio according to this invention shown in closed condition; Fig.` 2 is a perspective View of the same shown in open condition; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the portfolio in open condition; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of the portfolio in `closed condition, this view` being drawn on an'enlarged scale; Fig. 5

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portfolio .in open conditiom and provided with a modiedfform `of detachable upstanding central compartment; Fig. 6 isa fragmentary longitudi-v nal vertical section, taken on line 6 6 in Fig. 5; and Fig. "7 is a `fragmentaryl horizontal section,

taken online 7-1-7 in Fig. 6. o Similar characters of reference are employed in the `hereinabove described" views,` tofin'dicate corresponding parts f `Referring to said drawings, the novel portfolio comprises alpair of cooperatingside members 10 and 11 joined together, lcoincident to and inter# mediate adjacent inner longitudinal margins thereof, by an intermediate hingefsection 12. Said hinge section is shown in the drawings as is a fragmentary transverse vertical section of the V a part integral with `said -side members, but it may befan independent part to which said side members are stitched or otherwise secured.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the free outer longitudinal and lateral margins of the respectiveside members 10 and 11- are each provided withv marginal gusset members 13 and 14 respectively. Secured to the freeedges of the gusset member 13 `bordering the sidemember 10 is a tape 15 carrying at its free margins the hook ele- 65 ments 16 of a slide fastener means; and secured to the free edges of the gusset member'll bordering the side member 11 is a tape 17 carrying at its free margins the hook elements 18 which cooperate with the said hook elements 16 to pro- 70 vide the slide fastenermeans. operatively associated with said hook elements 16-18 is the slider device 19 which is manipulatable to engage and disengage the latter; said slider device lghaving a suitable pull-piece 20. It will vbe understood that, viewed in its broader aspects, the invention may comprise the use of any `suitable fastening means other than that of the slide fastener type described. 1

In one form, the novel central compartment comprises a compartment'side or panel 21 having an out-turned foot-piece 22 extending along its bottom margin to abut the inner face of the side member `10 at or adjacent to the juncture of the latter with the intermediate hinge section 12; 85 said foot-piece 22 being preferably secured `to said side member 10 by stitching 23, although any other serviceable or anchoring means may be employed as appears expedient. A like com-` partment side or panel 24 having a similar out- 90 turned foot-piece 25 extending along its bottom margin to abut the inner face of the side member l1 at or adjacent to the juncture of the latter with the intermediate hinge section 12 is provided; said foot-piece 25 is also preferably 95y secured `to said side member 11V by'anchoring stitching 26. Extending laterally between the (compartment sides or panels 21-24, between corresponding ends thereof are laterally expansiblefand `contractalfxle end `gusset members 27. If it is desired to provide the central compartment ,thus formed with a plurality of individual compartment spaces, one or more intermediate 'partitionmembers 28 are arranged between the compartment sides or panels 21--24 so as to be 105 secured by their ends to the end gusset members 2T so as to extend,` therebetweenand parallel to said compartment sides or panels` `2124. The bottom margins of saidy partition members 'terminate adjacent to saidintermediate hinge 110 section 12, but are not attached or affixed thereto, whereby the same are free to move with said end gusset members 27 in company with the lateral expanding or contracting movements of the latter. The gusset end members 27 may be of various dimensions both as to width and height, and do not necessarily have to extend throughout the entire height of the compartment.

Receiving or storage pockets 29 may be provided contiguous to the inner faces of one or both of said side members 10 and 11 by means of pocket forming walls 30; Vthe latter having one longitudinal and their side marginal porbers are folded together and secured in closed relation. The effect of the described 'movements of the side members 10--11 and of the intermediate hinge section 12 is to both cause the sides or panels 21-'-24 of the central compartment to assume a vertical upright or upstanding position relative to the flat lying side `members 10-11, while at the same time tending to -move Said sides or panels 21-24 laterally apart, thus laterally expanding the upstanding central compartment, which expansion is unimpeded due to the expansibility of the end gusset members`27 which yield to such lateral movements of the sides or panels 21-24. By reason of such lateral expansion of the upstanding central compartment, the compartment spaces thereof, whether one or more will each be likewise expanded so that unimpeded and exceedingly convenientac- Cess tothe interior of the compartment is afforded, making very handy and easy the insertion or removal of papers therein and therefrom. The upstanding position of the central .compartment, when the portfolio is open, permits of easy and quick identification of papers deposited therein, merely by leaflng over the same, much in the manner familiar tolthose accustomed to the use of vertical filing deposl-tories, and consequently eliminates necessity of removing from the compartments papers other than those needed at the moment. The convenience of the arrangement, which the novel structure making up the portfolio of this invention affords will be obvious and will readily commend itself to the user.

When the portfolio is closed by swinging Vthe side members 10-11 together, the intermediate hinge section 12 tends to-double together along its longitudinal axis. The result of this movement is to move together or toward each other the points where the side or panels 21-24 of the central-compartment are Vconnected with the portfolio side members y10-11, resulting in a lateral contraction of the central compartment to which its gusset-end members 27 yield (see Fig. 4). By reason ofv this, the central compartmeni; and its content are laterally compacted, so that when the portfolio side members 10-11 are closed, and their free marginal portions secured together by manipulation of the slide fastener means, in. the manner readily to be understood by those familiar with such form of fastening means, the bulk of the portfolio is reduced to a minimum (see Fig. 1), so that its carriage is easily and conveniently effected.

It may be desirable, in some cases, to furnish the central compartment in the form of a part removable or detachable from the main body of the portfolio. One arrangement suitable for such form is shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, of the drawings, wherein the sides or panels 21-24 of the central compartment are shown provided at their -lower longitudinal margins with an interconnecting bottom portion 3l. Anchored in the intermediate hinge section 12 of the portfolio are headed studs .32 projecting from the interior face thereof. Said bottom portion 31 of the central compartment are provided with key-hole slots 33, whereby the same may be engaged over said studs 32 and shifted longitudinally to interlock therewith, thus detachably mounting the central compartment within the portfolio interior. The ends-of the lsides or panels 21-24 are connected together by end gusset members 27', whereby said central compartment is more or less expansible and 'contractable The above form of detachably mounted central compartment, vadapted for upstanding disposition when the portfolio is opened to flat-lying position, is merely illustrative of one of various forms thereof which are contemplated within the broader aspects of the instant invention.

It will be obvious that thisinvention is capable of embodiment in various forms other than those above specically described by way of example; and since many changes could be made in the above described constructions and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of this invention as defined in the here following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:-

l. A portfolio or the like, comprising a main bodyarranged to fold along a medial line to form closed together side members adapted to open out into fiat-lying position, means to unite said side members in folded together closed relation, and a central compartment means within said portfolio, said. compartment means comprising side panels Ahaving their lower margins respectively secured to said portfolio side members at points spacedoutwardly from the line of fold therebetween, and expansible and contractible means connecting the ends of said side panels, whereby said compartment is adapted to assume an upstanding laterally expanded condition when said side members are released and down-folded to flat-lying position, and a laterally contracted condition when said side members are closed together. l

2. A portfolio or the like, comprising a main body arranged to fold along a medial line to form closed together side members adapted `to open out into flat-lying position, slide fastener means connected with the free marginal portions of said side members to unite the same in folded together closed relation, and a central compartment means mounted within said portfolio, said compartment means comprising longitudinal side panels having their lower margins respectively secured to said portfolio side members at points spaced outwardly from the line of fold therebetween, and expansible and contractible means connecting the ends of said side panels, whereby said compartment is adapted to assume an upstanding laterally expanded condition when said side members are released and down-folded to flat-lying position, and a laterally contracted condition` when said side members are closed together.

3. A portfolio or the like, comprising a main body arranged to fold along a medial line to form closed together side members adapted to open out into flat-lying position, slide fastener means connected with the free marginal portions of said side members to unite the same in folded together closed relation, a central compartment means mounted within said portfolio, said compartment means comprising longitudinal side panels having their lower margins respectively secured to said portfolio side members at points spaced outwardly from the line of fold therebetween, and

expansible and contractible means connecting the ends of said side panels, whereby said compartment is `adapted to assume an upstanding laterally expanded condition when said side members are released and down-folded to `fiat-lying position and a laterally contracted condition when said side members are closed together, and partition means intermediate said side panels and secured to and extending between the expansible and contractible end means of the latter, thereby to divide the interior of said compartment into a, plurality of compartment spaces.

4. A portfolio or the like, comprising foldable side members and a flexible hinge connection intermediate the inner longitudinal portions of said side members whereby the latter 4are adapted to open out into flat-lying position, cooperative means connected with the lfree margins of said side members for uniting the same in folded together closed relation, and a central compartment means within said portfolio, said compartment means comprising side panels having their lower margins secured to said portfolio sidemembers adjacent to said hinge connection, and expansible and contractible end gusset members between the ends of said side panels, whereby said compartment is adapted to assume an upstanding laterally expanded condition when said portfolio side members are released and down-folded to flat-lying position.

5 A portfolio or the like, comprising foldable side members and a flexible hinge connection intermediate the inner longitudinal portions of said side members, whereby the latter are adapted to open out into flat-lying position, cooperative means connected with the free margins of said side members vfor uniting the same in folded together closed relation, acentral compartment means within said portfolio, said compartment means comprising side panels having their lower margins secured to said portfolio side members adjacent to said hinge connection, and expansible and contractible end gusset members between the ends of said side panels, whereby said compartment is adapted to assume anupstanding laterally expanded condition when said portfolio side members are released and down-folded to flat-lying position, and partition means having free upper and lower margins but connected by their ends to said end gusset members to extend intermediate and parallel to said side panels, therebyto divide the interior of said compart- Y ment into a plurality of compartment spaces.

cooperative slide fastener means connected with said marginal gusset means for releasably uniting the same together and said side members in folded together closed relation, and a central compartment means within said portfolio, said compartment means comprising side panels interconnected at their ends for relative movement, said panels having their lower margins secured to said portfolio side members respectively in outwardly oifset relation to said hinge connection so as to be moved apart to laterally expanded upstanding condition when said side members are released and down-folded to fiatlying position and so as to be moved together to laterally contracted condition when said side members are closed together.

7. A portfolio or thelike, comprising foldable side members and a flexible hinge connection intermediate the opposed inner longitudinal portions of said side members, marginal gusset means at the free edges of said side members, cooperative slide fastener means connected with said marginal gusset means for releasably uniting the same together and said side members in folded together closed relation, a central compartment means within said portfolio, said compartment means comprising side panels having their lower margins secured to said portfolio side members adjacent to said hinge connection, and expansible and contractible end gusset members between the ends of said side panels, whereby said compartment is adapted to assume an upstanding laterally expanded condition when said portfolio side members are released and down-folded to fiatlying position and a laterally contracted condition when saidside members are closed together.

8. A portfolio or the like, comprising foldable side members and a flexible hinge connection intermediate the inner longitudinal portions of said side members, marginal gusset means at the free edges of said side members, cooperative slide fastener means connected with said marginal gusset means for releasably uniting the same together and said side members in folded together closed relation, a central compartment means within said portfolio, said compartment means comprising side panels having their lower margins secured to said portfolio side members adjacent to said hinge connection, expansible and contractible end gusset members between the ends of said side panels, whereby said compartment is adapted to assume an upstanding laterally expanded condition whensaid portfolio side members are released and down-folded to flat-lying position, and partition means having free upperl and lower margins but connected by their ends to said end gusset members to extend intermediate and parallel tosaid side panels, thereby to divide the interior of said compartment into a plurality of compartment spaces. i

9. A portfolio or the like, comprising a main body arranged toV fold along a medial line to form closed together side members capable of being opened out into flat-lying position, and a central compartment having side panels interconnected at their ends for relative movement, said panels being secured along their bottom portions respectively to said side members at points spaced outwardly from the line of fold of said main body, whereby said compartment assumes an upstanding laterally expanded condition when said side members are down-folded to flat-lying position and a laterally contracted condition when said side members are closed together.

ARY KAUFMANN. 

